Arts
Has life ever thrown you a curveball? James Burrows was born with perfect pitch, and autism. Today I speak with his mother Nancy in Baltimore, Maryland, about the incredible musical journey James has had with the support of his whole family: from how his gift showed up in infancy, had him eating meals only in the car because the sound of the refrigerator compressor would startle him, finding the perfect mentor in an up-and-coming local beatboxer, graduating from high school during a pandemic, and being featured on NPR. James joins us on the interview briefly towards the end, talking about synesthesia and doing an impressive mental scan of his entire SoundCloud catalog to pick out a tune that features his current favorite note, F#. The episode includes two original tunes by James: This Connects to my Happiness, and A Great Pattern. It's a timely story of acceptance, resilience and adaptability, right here on The Rayna Sense.